Nothing But You
by autumnroses
Summary: Willow is attacked in Sunnydale and is in a coma. Buffy and Xander are given a chance by the FBI to give her a new lease on life. How long will they have to keep their lies until Angel learns the truth.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do NOT own either Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel the Series or any characters. They belong to Joss Whedon et.al Agent Quinn is a name I just made up for the purpose of this story, if it turns out there is something created out there in the world with an FBI employee named Agent Quinn I hold no claims to it because I didn't know he existed and definitely don't own him either. There is mention of rape and physical abuse but no descriptions of either.  
  
Spoilers/Author's Note: If you have seen either show {which are now both off of the air} then you should have no problems. I've messed with the time lines so it is completely AU. Buffy didn't die during the battle with Glory because it didn't happen so that means no Dawn {sorry folks} on Angel there is no Conner {sorry again} Fred is there, Wesley didn't betray anyone. It is set after Oz leaves and a chipped Spike is now apart of the Scoobies, so I guess after the ones with the the natives of the old Sunnydale mission attack.  
  
Are we all caught up? Good, thanks, sorry but I wrote this in a car and didn't have an episode guide. I'll upload as much as I can every main stop we make. GO ROAD TRIPS! :)  
  
Pairing: Willow/Angel (eventually)  
  
Daylight.  
  
Willow knew all to well the evil that lurked after dark. They all did but they also forgot about the kind who were lurking out there now, in broad daylight. That is what ran through Willow Rosenberg's mind as she was grabbed and shoved into a trunk of a car at the edge of the UC Sunnydale campus. She had been on her way to Giles's before sunset so she wouldn't have to worry about running into any vamps or demons. So much for safety in sunlight she thought bitterly. She had to escape. She didn't want to die, not now, and not by some random attacker. But before she could finish her thoughts the car stopped and the trunk lid was opened. Scrambling to get out she barely registered the feel of the blow to the side of her head as everything went black.  
  
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"Thank you for coming in Miss Summers, Mr. Harris, we're sorry to bother you but we need a positive identification."  
  
"No, no it's fine, listen can you," Xander slightly stumbled over his words. "Can you tell us what happened to her?"  
  
"I can't tell you much, this is an FBI case you understand?"  
  
They nodded in response.  
  
"They said that I can tell you that she was grabbed, probably from behind by a serial rapist the FBI have been desperately trying to apprehend now for the past 3 months. She was shoved into his car and taken to another location where she was raped and beaten. His pattern is always the same and always ends it with killing his victims. Luckily he was interrupted by a passer-by." "Oh god," Xander wailed. "Oh god Buffy, please don't let this be Willow." "Shh, shh, it's ok Xander." "Would you like to identify your friend now?" Buffy held back her tears, straightened herself up and clung desperately to Xander's hand. The detective nodded to the officer standing guard outside the hospital room, opened the door and led them inside. "Is this your friend?" He asked softly. Xander could only break down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably as he looked at the still figure lying on the bed before him, battered and badly bruised, looking thin and sickly pale. "That's her," Buffy whispered. "That's Willow." The detective nodded as Buffy asked, "Is she going to be alright? What's going to happen to her?"  
  
"I can't tell you that I'm sorry, I don't really know myself." Buffy looked crest fallen. "Listen though, Agent Quinn, the man in charge of this case is talking to the doctor right now, that's why he sent me here with you. Well he'll be finished in a second and can fill you two in ok?  
  
Buffy just nodded mutely as she held onto Xander. God he looked awful, first losing Jesse, now nearly losing Willow. Hot tears stung Buffy's eyes as she thought about the pain they have all had to face, her with Angel, Giles with Ms. Calender. Someone had to be the strong one, and it would be her. Just then the door swung open and another man walked up to Buffy and Xander.  
  
"Miss. Summers? Mr. Harris? I'm Agent Quinn." He said softly as he nodded to the detective who then left the room. They nodded mutely in return. "I'm very sorry for what happened to your friend Miss. Rosenberg. I had hoped that we would of caught that sadistic freak of nature before he could hurt another girl, but we couldn't and I apologise."  
  
"It's ok Agent Quinn," whispered Buffy. "It's not your fault it's his just please help us now by telling us if she will be alright."  
  
Agent Quinn looked thoughtfully at the pale redhead looking so lost upon the hospital bed, connected to so many monitors. "I've spoken to the doctor and she has informed me that your friend Willow is fairly lucky considering the circumstances. She has no broken bones but the bruising is quite severe and she was raped and is in a coma." Buffy gasped as Xander began hyperventilate slightly.  
  
"S-she's going is wake up isn't she? Willow was in a coma once before but she woke up. No she will wake up I know she will."  
  
"Yes Mr. Harris she will wake up. The doctor assures me that she will wake up within a day or two but as for the quality of her memory, that is a different story."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well the scans they have done indicated that there may have been some damage done to her long term memory, added to that the mental trama of the event, well she won't be the same Willow you remember. I'm sorry." Agent Quinn finished softly.  
  
"There is something else to, isn't there, something that you aren't telling us." Asked Buffy.  
  
"Well as I told the two of you before, the man who attacked Miss. Rosenberg never lets a victim live and we have reason to believe as well as proof that he will track her down and finish the job he started. And we would like to place her into our protection program, and fast, before she wakes up. We have discovered that she has no living relatives and since you two are on her medical records as having consent to make decisions over treatment in a medical crisis we need you two to make the decision.  
  
"Us? But why not her parents or Giles?" Asked Buffy.  
  
"I don't know who Giles is, but as for her parents they are deceased and we have reason to believe that Miss. Rosenberg wasn't even informed. They were killed in an accident a couple of months ago in Atlanta."  
  
"Gosh I knew Willow's parents were never around but that is really harsh." Said Xander somewhat calmly.  
  
"So as her medical guardians we would like consent to place her in the relocation program. We will send her immediately to another hospital or medical facility else where in the country until she is more then well enough to be released. We will provide her with a new name, identity, job, residence, and give her counciling. If she wakes up with no memories then we will provide her with a story that is as close to her former life as possible without revealing anything. We will also have someone looking out for her for the first three months after she is released from medical treatment."  
  
"So you basically want to take her away and make her forget us?" Xander bit out, his voice rising.  
  
"Not at all Mr. Harris, what we want is to protect her, and to catch the psycho responsible before he kills her or anyone else. Do you know how many young women he has killed so far?" Xander shook his head no. "Eleven in three months. And that is eleven too many. We do not want to add your friend to the list alright?"  
  
Xander nodded silently, he just wanted this nightmare to end. Looking at Xander, and then to Willow, Buffy made a decision. "We'll do anything to keep her safe, even if it means giving her up." Fresh tears pricked at her eyes. "I just have one request."  
  
"What is it," Agent Quinn asked softly.  
  
"I want to name her."  
  
"Done."  
  
---------------- ---------------------- --------------------- -------------- ------------  
  
Buffy and Xander had spent an hour afterwards making a list of Willow's talents and habits and history to add to the information the FBI had collected from her school and medical records in order to create a new life to the person formally known as Willow. To the world Willow was just another statistic, another death in the history of Sunnydale, no cause listed. The FBI was keeping up their end like they promised, now it was Buffy and Xander's turn.  
  
Standing in front of Giles's they each took a deep breath and looked at each other in support. It was 11 o'clock as they entered and were greeted by the newly chipped and unchained Spike, Giles and Anya packing the last of a stack of books, weapons and supplies into a couple of duffel bags.  
  
"Ah Buffy, Xander you're here, excellent." Giles began hardly taking a glace at the haggard and dishevelled pair. "We just got a call from Wesley in LA, Cordelia has had a vision and they need our assistance and we must go now." Giles finished as he turned to the silent pair. "What is the matter, are the two of you alright? Where is Willow?"  
  
Buffy held back her tears as well as she possibly could as she opened the door. "She can't come with us Giles. Come on, I will explain on the way, for now we just need to make the world a little safer."  
  
Giles, Anya and Spike looked at Buffy silently before hesitantly following her outside and then sped off into the night, towards the city of angels as Buffy told them why Willow couldn't come.  
  
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Angel, Wesley, and Cordelia were putting away the last of the weapons, they had been able to kill the demons earlier and easier then they had originally thought and were awaiting the arrival of the gang from Sunnydale to have a visit with them seeing as they no longer needed their services. They were just closing the doors of the cabinets when they heard the doors to the Hyperion open and watched the five silent figures enter. They looked as though someone had ripped each of their hearts out. Dry tears stained their faces and the shoulders of their shirts.  
  
Angel bounded out with a stake at Spike before he noticed the same look on his face as well.  
  
"Don't worry Angel," Buffy said gently. "Spike is chipped remember? Let's go kill that pack of demons now ok?"  
  
"Buffy?" Angel asked quietly as Cordelia and Wesley looked on. "What happened? Are all of you alright? You all look like someone killed your best friend."  
  
The Sunnydale group stiffened.  
  
"Can we go kill the demons now? Please Angel? We just need to please! Just to make the world feel a little safer." Buffy began to plead softly, tears once again threatening to return. "Please!"  
  
"Buffy what's wrong? Giles? Xander?" Cordelia began as she stepped forward.  
  
"Oh no. Stop wait. Fools, don't you understand?" Wesley asked Angel and Cordelia with a soft hiss as he approached Giles. He stopped and kept his tone soft as his throat chocked up. "Mr. Giles, I'm so sorry, I know you thought of her as a daughter. She was a good person, who didn't deserve any kind of death."  
  
"Thank you Wesley, we were all quite fond of her." Giles chocked out quietly as Wesley gestured the group to the sitting area, and past the stunned vampire and seer standing in shock as they finally realised who was missing from the other group and why.  
  
"We're sorry that you all had to come out here, we managed to take care of the threat not long before you all arrived. If we had of known we wouldn't of asked you to come all this way considering the circumstances."  
  
"It's alright, Wesley, really, we didn't even know ourselves until we were on the highway."  
  
Wesley raised a surprised eyebrow at Angel. Angel mentally shook himself as he came closer to the group and asked the question that everyone had been avoiding. "How did she die?"  
  
Buffy's head snapped up and she spoke up. "I killed her."  
  
The LA gang all reacted as if they had been punched in the heart. "You killed Willow?"  
  
"I - I didn't mean to do it," she said trace like. "Xander, Willow and I were on the way to Giles's to see if there was any evils brewing. It's not like we were even in a cemetery or anything, we were just walking down the street when a group of vamps showed up. They rushed us and we fought and dusted them. It wasn't until I staked the last on that I realised that Willow had been behind him. He had attacked her and turned her. We thought that we could get her to Giles, so he could curse her. Vampire Willow from the other dimension had been so evil and we didn't want our Willow to become like that. But she resisted and we struggled and - and." Buffy chocked on a sob that broke her out of her trance like talking. "She fell on my stake, and she was gone. She was gone." Buffy finished as she burst into tears.  
  
Giles held her as she cried, trying not to let his own tears fall as Angel just stood in shock. Wesley teared up as he held Cordelia upright as she struggled to breath over her ragged sobs. Anya was crying silently as she held Xander's hand, his head bowed in remorse. Spike standing away from the group crying silently as well as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. He had always envisioned himself being the one to kill the girl, to make her a vampire. Now she was gone.  
  
Buffy felt sick with herself, she and Xander knew this was for the best. Willow was dead to them all now, and the girl who they helped to make was somewhere else in America at this moment, just waiting for her chance to wake up into a brand new life. Goodbye Willow, she thought, Goodbye. 


	2. LA

The flight from New York had been amazing she mused thinking back to her first plane ride that had brought her here to LA. She was living in a hotel for now, looking up apartments in the newspaper as she was coming back from her meeting. She was a very lucky person. Just a short year and a half ago she had woken up from a coma in hospital. A victim of rape and abuse from her former boyfriend. He was dead now, having killed himself in police custody. She couldn't remember him at all, for that she was thankful, shouldn't couldn't remember a thing from before waking up in that hospital bed, a new lease on life the staff and police had told her. Better make the most of it. So she did, she had developed an amazing and secure database system for large corporations that was purchased by that LAPD. They had, had a lot of security breeches the past couple of years and wanted that to end, hence her coming down to install the system.  
  
Oh she had created other programs too, and they were selling well in LA as well as giving her a chance to earn extra for installing them and teaching employee's their basics. Hence her coming to live in LA. New York was great but she was 21, she wanted sun after feeling like she had lived in darkness for so long. Her musings ended as her cab came to a stop in front of her hotel. She paid the man and walked inside and up to the front desk.  
  
"Hello, I just came to see if there were any messages left for me?"  
  
The young woman behind the desk smiled brightly at her. "Nothing here for you today ma'am."  
  
"That's fine, thank you for checking," she said with a smile as she made her way across the lobby to the elevator. Getting off on the 7th floor she walked down the hallway to her room and unlocked it quickly and slipped inside. Placing her purse and key on the desk she slipped off her shoes and padded across to the bathroom. After taking a quick shower she wiped the steam off of the mirror looking back at her reflection. Green eyes staring back at her she turned her attention to brushing her hair, it was red and halfway down her back, and when it dried it would be slightly wavy with a bit of curl to the ends. After she had blow dried her hair and changed into a matching black mini skirt and v-neck halter top, she put in her small silver hoop earings and a light coating of green eye shadow, mascara, and pale pink lip gloss. Satisfied at the result she slipped into her pair of black heeled strappy sandles and grabbed her key and evening bag, leaving her room for a night on the town.  
  
------------------------ ----------------------------- --------------------- -----  
  
The night was warm as Angel, Cordelia, Gunn, and Wesley walked back to the Hyperion from their latest slaying.  
  
"Gunn," Angel asked. "I just remembered that Lorne asked if someone could pick him up early tonight so he can have sometime to prepare before Fred sings for him, do you mind?"  
  
"Course not dog, my truck is parked out front anyway, I'll just jog on ahead ok?" Angel nodded. "Ok, be back with Lorne in a bit."  
  
"Ok, thanks Gunn." Angel replied as Gunn jogged off in quickly to reach his truck. "Angel, how come you forgot about Lorne and had to ask Gunn to go get him?" Cordelia asked without wasting anytime.  
  
"I've had something on my mind, that's all."  
  
"You know Angel, you can tell us anything, we'll do anything to help." Wesley offered.  
  
"Thanks Wes but it's nothing really, just kind of a nagging feeling I've been getting in my soul."  
  
"What kind of nagging feeling? Do you feel as though you're losing it?" Wesley asked cautiously.  
  
"No, no nothing like that, it's - it's silly really."  
  
"Angel," Cordelia cut in. "Try us."  
  
"Well it's just that I have had this feeling for the past year and a half now that Buffy has been lying to me, lying to all of us, about something really important."  
  
"Lying to us? About what?"  
  
"About Willow."  
  
Cordelia and Wesley stopped dead in their tracks. "Angel," Cordelia began. "That's not funny."  
  
"Do you see me joking? I just think Buffy has been lying, possibly Xander too."  
  
"Why Angel? What reason would they have to lie? To lie about letting Willow die? You seen how destroyed they were when they told us, you know what happens in Sunnydale!" Cordelia screamed nearly in tears.  
  
Angel reached over and hugged her. "Shh, I'm sorry Cordy, I shouldn't of said anything, I know I'm wrong. I just miss her, she gave me back my soul, she accepted me. I guess I just felt like I needed someone to blame."  
  
Cordelia wiped away her tears. "It's ok Angel, we all miss her. Sometimes I feel like I need someone to blame too. But it's no one's fault really. Being turned is always a risk on the hellmouth and as for the other part, that was just an accident. Can you imagine how Buffy still feels, she tried to her Willow help and ended up getting her staked. We just have to remember Willow as she was and try to move on with our lives."  
  
Angel and Cordelia smiled weakly as they rejoined Wesley who was standing silently off to the side. They continued off towards the Hyperion to check on Fred before Gunn got back with Lorne. They were going to give Fred a future.  
  
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Gunn pulled his truck over quickly in front of a night club as he seen a young red headed woman struggling against a man. No scratch that, a vampire. Hopping out and reaching for the stake in his coat pocket he followed the pair into the alley beside the club. The vamp had one hand tightly around her throat cutting off her screams as she vainly tried to release herself from his grasp. Rushing up quickly behind the vamp, Gunn drew back and quickly plunged his stake into the vampire's back and he saw the girl drop to the ground as it burst into dust.  
  
"Are you alright?" He asked the girl, as he helped her to her feet. "Can you remember your name?"  
  
"Angela Jennifer Giles," she squeaked out. "W-what was that?"  
  
"Don't worry about him, he won't be able to hurt anyone ok?"  
  
"Ok," breathed out the red head as she fainted in his arms.  
  
'Oh man' Gunn thought to himself. I just can't leave her here, I'll take her with me while I pick up Lorne, maybe she'll wake up by that time and she can get a cab to take her safely home. He decided as he gently set her in the front seat with him. Angela hadn't woken up by the time they got to Lorne's but Lorne insisted that they take her with them to Angel's. Muttering something about seeing her before. Arriving at the hotel, Lorne opened the door for Gunn who carried the still unconscious red head.  
  
"Angel!" Lorne bellowed. "ANGEL!"  
  
Angel leapt from the couch he had been sitting on with Fred and across from the one containing Cordelia and Wesley.  
  
The large smile that had graced his face fell in an instant as he saw the red head cradled in Gunn's arms.  
  
"Gunn," Angel asked before swallowing at the lump in his throat. "W-who is that?"  
  
"A girl I saved from a vamp attack before I picked up Lorne. Before she passed out she told me that her name was Angela Jennifer Giles. How come?"  
  
"Angel cakes, I've seen her before from your readings. You know this girl."  
  
"I know," Angel said with a quiet and shaky voice. "It's Willow." 


	3. willow

"Willow?" Gunn asked. "But she said that her name was Angela."  
  
Angel was shaking violently. He was in shock; nothing could prepare him for this, nothing. "And we were told that she was dead."  
  
"Dead? She looks and feels very alive to me." Gunn added sympathetically.  
  
"Wesley, call Sunnydale, tell them to get here now! No excuses don't tell them why just tell them to be here – all of them. Gunn, take her up stairs and put her somewhere safe. Cordelia, Fred, Lorne look up everything you can for the names Willow Rosenberg and Angela Jennifer Giles." Angel ordered gently before following Gunn's path upstairs.  
  
Gunn met Angel at the top of the stairs. "I hope that you don't mind Angel but I put her in your room, I thought that you might like to keep an eye on her."  
  
Angel smiled faintly. "Thanks Gunn, I really appreciate it." He continued walking until he was in front of his door.  
  
Taking an unneeded breath to steady himself Angel opened the door and stepped inside. There was Willow, no Angela, placed gently underneath the covers of his bed. Red hair fanned around her head on his pillow like a halo. Angel sat on the bed beside her, just looking. This women, this Angela didn't smell like Willow, or dress like her but did look like her if she were a year older and a little sadder. But Willow was just a girl when he last saw her, how could she have changed so much? Where could she have been? All this time everyone had believed that she was dead and now here she was, with a new name and a new look lying in his bed. Angel lost track of time as he sat and watched her, tracing patterns over the back of her hand.  
  
Suddenly he was snapped out of his trance by her stirring beneath the covers. Eyelids rose sleepily to reveal sparkling green eyes. There was a moment of connection between them that was quickly dashed as she snatched her hand away from him and scrambled towards the other side of the bed towards the door.  
  
"Don't worry Angela, you're safe, I won't hurt you. My name is Angel. You were attacked last night but one of my employees rescued you and brought you back here for safety reasons until you awoke."  
  
"W-where is he, the man who saved me?"  
  
"He should still be downstairs, we can go check no if you'd like?"  
  
"What is this place?"  
  
"Well it used to be a hotel but then I bought it and turned it into a detective agency, a couple of my employees and I also live here."  
  
She nodded mutely as she slid off of the remainder of the bed and stood. Angel walked to the door, held it open for her, and guided her down the stairs. As they reached the bottom of the stairs four people came into view.  
  
"Gunn," Angel stated simply, motioning him to come forward.  
  
"I just wanted to thank you for saving me last night and for taking care of me, it was very sweet of you. If there is anything I can do to repay your kindness don't hesitate to ask." Angela said softly.   
  
"I'm just happy to see you up and about, ya kinda scared me last night. Anyway I was thinking you could stay for at least a few more minutes, have a cup of coffee, a little conversation with us. Our work keeps us pretty busy, always fun to meet somebody new. What do you say?"  
  
"I wouldn't want to impose..."  
  
"You wouldn't be imposing, really." Cordelia jumped in. "Please stay." She chewed her bottom lip softly and looked thoughtfully at the group for a moment. They looked so eager and hopefully, and a bit sad. They were probably craving some outside contact. Staying for a little while wouldn't hurt, plus she hadn't made a single friend in LA yet, let alone met anyone, this could be a great opportunity seeing as they looked like they could be trusted. She made her decision.  
  
"I'd love to stay for a chat. I haven't met a soul here yet but then again I only moved to LA four days ago."  
  
"Great," beamed Cordelia. "Let's start with the introductions. I'm Cordelia Chase, the guy you were just talking to is Charles Gunn. Over here is Winifred Burkle, and Wesley Wyndam-Pryce and the tall broody guy who brought you down here is Angel."  
  
"Angel? I hope you don't mind my asking but that's kind of an odd name. Does it stand for anything?"  
  
"Yes, but that was from a different part of my life, everyone just calls me Angel. I don't think that I caught your full name..."  
  
"It's Angela Jennifer Giles."  
  
"What are the origins of your name Miss. Giles" Wesley asked softly.  
  
"The origins aren't very special. I was named by my mother, and my father had no say."  
  
"Where are you from originally? She must miss you very much since you moved to LA."  
  
"I'm from New York, third generation of only children, my grandfather was from England. That's where you're from isn't it? The accent?" Wesley nodded. "And as for my mother, well she died a couple of years ago, father went at the same time too, car accident. I don't remember them at all, perhaps it's all for the better."  
  
"I'm very sorry for your loss Angela," Fred spoke up. "Myself, I haven't seen my parents in six years, they're all the way back in Texas somewhere."  
  
"You should consider finding them."  
  
"I want to, I just need a bit more time that's all." She smiled lightly at Fred who returned it eagerly.  
  
"So where are the rest of you from?"  
  
"Ireland", replied Angel. "LA" followed Gunn. "Sunnydale." Said Cordelia lastly.  
  
"Sunnydale? I've never heard of it. Where is it? It sounds really pretty."  
  
Cordelia felt her heart plunge slightly, "It's North of LA a bit. It's not very big really, and it can be pretty sometimes when you have the right people around to show you the good stuff. Actually I have some friends from there arriving soon if you'd like to stick around. Actually I'd love it if you could."  
  
"They're your friends, and you probably have lots of catching up to do. Besides it's been a long night and I'd just like to go back to my hotel now. Although I'd like to come back to visit soon if none of you mind?"  
  
"Come anytime day or night." Angel spoke quickly as he reached into his pocket and fished out a business card. "Please come back soon, and don't hesitate to call us if you need anything."  
  
She looked at the card thoughtfully before placing it carefully in her evening bag. "You've all been so kind, generous and helpful already. Thank you all very much, especially you Charles."  
  
"You can just call me Gunn, everyone does," he said with a smile. She matched it with one of her own. "Gunn." Stepping lightly up the stairs, stopping in the growing pool of sunlight in front of the doors she turned back and said, "Oh look, the sun is up and already it's a bright tomorrow, I think that I am really going to like it here." And then she slipped into the daylight, out of reach of the evils of the night.  
  
Angel was basking in the emotions that ran through him as he watched her stand in the sunlight, smiling, blissful, and most importantly alive. "Gunn," he said without turning to face the younger man.  
  
"Yeah Dawg?"  
  
"Remind me to thank you every day for bringing her back. Just seeing her in the sunlight like that – well," he paused. "I never thought that I could ever be this happy again."  
  
And with that he slowly turned and faced the entire group. "What did you find about Angela/Willow?"  
  
Wesley reached for his notepad on the counter. "Well it appears as though Willow was pronounced dead on the date Miss. Summers and the others told us of her death. There was no cause of death listed, no investigation, no time of death. Also there was no record of burial and no living relatives."  
  
"What about her parents," Angel interjected quickly. "I don't think that her or Xander's or yours Cordelia were ever around much but they should still be around somewhere."  
  
"Let's see," said Wesley searching his notes. "Ah yes, here we are, her parents: Ira and Sheila Rosenberg. They were killed in an auto accident in Atlanta three months before Willow's death. There is a record of their remains and estate being taken care of by their lawyer, but no mention of their daughter."  
  
"All right, what about Angela Jennifer Giles then?"  
  
Cordelia relieved Wesley of his notepad and handed him another one. "Angela Jennifer Giles, born in New York City, same year as Miss. Rosenberg but no day or month given, also no mention of hospital where she was born. Her parents were a Mr. R. Giles and a Mrs. J. Giles, no first names or other information is available except for a year of death, no specific dates."  
  
"Nearly two years ago right?"  
  
"Correct. Also there is no record of schools for Angela, no trails except that she was release from a private medical hospital one year ago, she lived in an apartment, address unknown and has no job history. She bought a plane ticket two weeks four days ago and landed here four days ago and booked a room at a hotel 5 blocks from here under the name Ms. A. J. Giles. She sold self-written computer programs to the Los Angeles Police Department, Wolfram and Hart, and two other private companies. "  
  
"This just keeps getting stranger and stranger Angelcakes." Lorne cut in as he strolled over to the group from his spot by the counter.  
  
"Lorne I didn't even notice you. Where were you hiding?" Angel asked annoyed with himself for being so off guard.  
  
"I figured it would be a good idea to stay out of the way a bit so as not to scare the girl, but I've been listening. Angel, it is her and if what I've gathered from a couple past readings she's important. I want to read your friends from Sunnydale as well as everyone here. My head may kill for the next 10 years but I believe that it's worth it."  
  
"Are you sure Lorne?"  
  
"Positive, besides I still need to read this little sweetie over here," he said winking at Fred.  
  
She blushed, "I can wait until after Angel's friends arrive, I just want to make sure everything goes all right with your new friend first."  
  
Angel smiled sweetly at Fred as the doors to the Hyperion burst open and a slightly smoking Spike ran into safety followed by a worried Giles, Anya, Xander and Buffy.  
  
"Angel," Buffy spoke out worried. "What's the matter? What's wrong?"  
  
Angel looked back at Lorne and smirked. "You have to sing a little song."  
  
Buffy was taken aback, "sing? Angel you're not making any sense."  
  
"My friend Lorne over here can learn many truths and futures when people sing and I need each of you to sing."  
  
He was met by the rise of protests but rose his hands to silence them and continued. "Gunn, Fred, Cordelia, Wesley and I are doing it too. I'll explain everything afterwards, trust me it's worth it."  
  
Feebly they joined a now seated Lorne and took their turns starting with Fred to sing to the empathetic demon and await the big news Angel had promised to let them in on.  
  
-------------------------------------- ------------------------------------- - -----------------------------------------  
  
Lorne gratefully accepted the water and aspirin that Cordelia handed him. Knocking them back he closed his eyes. He had seen more then he had wanted to, perhaps they should chain Angel up first because once he learned the truth heads were going to roll.  
  
"Well sweetie pie," said Lorne looking at Fred. "I'm going to start with you, you had the best reading, there is nothing wrong. Congratulations." Fred beamed as the rest of the LA Fang Gang looked on fondly. "Now here comes the hard part, I'm very sorry to announce but it looks like you two have been lying to everyone," he said carefully while pointing at Xander and Buffy. Angel's brow darkened, fear swelled in Buffy.  
  
"It seems a little strawberry by the name of Willow isn't blowing in the wind like everyone believes but is in fact amongst the living, breathing, heart beating peoples of America."  
  
Spike startled everyone present by hitting the floor with an audible thud; he sat up but did not move any farther.  
  
Giles sat up straighter and looked at Buffy and Xander. "Tell them the truth, Willow is gone. Buffy, Xander, tell them, both of you were there, Buffy you said that she landed on your own stake. What he's saying isn't true, tell them." They could only lower their eyes in response, tears fell from Giles's eyes as he realised the truth: they had lied. "Why did you two lie? To me? To them? To all of us?"  
  
The room was silent as Buffy stood up. "I'll tell you guys everything as long as you wait to pass judgement, and keep in mind that this was more my doing then Xander's."  
  
They nodded gravely as Buffy let out a little sigh and paced for a moment and began.  
  
"The night that Willow 'died' we were all supposed to meet at Giles's place to see if there was any new evils brewing. I had a late class and Willow said that she was going to head out before sunset so she could get there before any vamps or anything were out." Taking a deep breath she continued on. "After class I stopped by the dorm quick to grab a couple stakes before I headed over to join everyone. The phone rang and it was the police telling me to come to the hospital immediately, there was an emergency and that Xander had been called and was on his way. I thought that something had maybe happened to Giles and that Willow had gotten them to call so I ran all the way there."  
  
Stopping to look at the downcast faces she kept talking. "I met him at the front entrance talking to a police detective, he led us to a private room with an officer posted outside. Then we talked to an FBI agent, and we got to see Willow." Her breath hitched at this point. "She was hooked up to a bunch of monitors and stuff, in a coma, bruises everywhere. He told us that she had been grabbed near campus, shoved into a car and taken somewhere else. She – she was raped and beaten and before he could kill her someone came along and scared him off. The guy was a serial rapist/killer that the FBI was trying to catch and they were afraid that he would come back to kill Willow because this guy, his pattern never changed and he never let his victims live."  
  
The tears began to roll down Buffy's face freely now. "They wanted to place Willow in their protection program, take her far away from Sunnydale, give her counciling, medical treatment, people to watch out for her safety. They figured that she would have long term memory damage, and even if she didn't the trama from the attack alone would leave us with a girl who wouldn't be the same Willow anymore. So they wanted to give her a new life. They told us about how her parents died; they suspected that even she didn't know. We didn't want Willow to die or to suffer with hurtful memories. So we decided to let her go, give her a new life, away from the dangers and evils of the hellmouth."  
  
Buffy smiled wistfully for a second. "They let me name her, only I know her new name, not even Xander knows. I named her after you Angel. You, Ms. Calendar, and Giles. I thought that she would like that you know?" her smile dropped. "I don't know where she is, or how she is, or what she's doing. I wish I did. I regret what I did all the time, I wanted to tell Giles so many times, tell the rest of you."  
  
Wiping some more tears away she finished her story. "Xander and I had to make up a story about how she died, the FBI said that they would take care of her records, so we came up with the story and went over to Giles's. But he was there packing weapons and supplies with Anya and Spike telling us that we had to help here in LA. So we told them on the way, and then told everyone here. We didn't want to lie, or to hurt anyone, especially not Willow. They found the bastard who ruined her life though. He was lurking around campus a week later looking for her, and was shot to death when he tried to escape FBI custody. But we couldn't find Willow by then, besides she had a chance for a new life."  
  
No one said anything for a full minute while they were rapidly trying to let it all sink in. Finally Angel, in a soft voice broke the silence.  
  
"I always suspected that you and Xander were lying about something when it came to Willow's 'death', but I never knew why or about what exactly." Letting out an unneeded breath he continued on. "Angela Jennifer Giles moved to Los Angeles four days ago from New York City, she was saved from a vamp attack last night by Gunn and brought back here. She's all right Buffy, I don't think that she remembers who she used to be but she's healthy, and safe, and in so many ways the Willow she was."  
  
Buffy choked on a fresh sob. Angel looked around at everyone scattered around the lobby. Even Fred who had just met 'Angela' and had never met Willow was in relieved tears. Now it was time to ask the million-dollar question.  
  
"What do we do now? Do we tell her the truth? Do we let her go again? How will she deal with everything?"  
  
Giles spoke up first. "I hate to sound selfish but I truly loved Willow as a daughter and I don't want her to be lost to me again, I'll even get to know her as Angela if I have to, I just don't want her to leave again."  
  
Angel nodded mutely and was surprised as Lorne stood and spoke out to the group. "From what I've seen and heard and gathered this is what I believe we should do. We find a spell to unlock her memories, all of you go back to Sunnydale and Gunn can invite her over seeing as the little strawberry has taken a shine to her saviour. We cast the spell and it unlocks her memories in the safety of the hotel. We guide her through the pain and such until it become time. And she is ready to see the rest of you. She can reacquaint herself with everyone old, get close to everyone new. It's a very intense plan but if you want her back with the smallest risk of rejection this is it kiddo's."  
  
The Sunnydale Gang looked defeated but picked themselves up quietly and headed towards the door. Giles and Buffy turned back and Giles spoke first. "I have a spell that would work, I'll send it to you as soon as I get back."  
  
"You'll let us know the moment she's ready to see us right?" Buffy asked with a slight quiver in her voice.  
  
Angel nodded silently as he watched the two of them turn around and hold the door open while Spike pulled his duster over his head and raced outside followed by the others in a more sedated manner. 


	4. Giles

The door to Wesley's office was opened quickly by an excited looking Gunn three days after the first meeting with Angela.

"Yo English, she just called, she wants to get together with me tomorrow to hang out and I convinced her to meet me here first at 6 p.m."

"Excellent work Gunn. I finished getting all of the supplies needed for the spell from Mr.Giles this morning. We can all review it tonight so things will run smoothly tomorrow night."

Gunn nodded silently before putting his hands in his pockets and learning lightly against the door frame. "Do you really think it's gonna work? Like what if she has a breakdown or somethin'? I don't want us to like ruin her life or nothin'."

"Both Lorne and Mr. Giles believe that this spell is safe and that she is strong enough to handle the emotional after effects. Plus all of us will be there for her, we will help her get through this. I know that she wouldn't give up on anyone, so we should give her the same support."

Gunn smiled slightly at Wesley, feeling a bit better about the situation.

"Come along Gunn, we should prepare the others."

Angel who had been listening to the exchange between his two employees sighed. He was gratefully that everyone was so willing to help Willow, even if they hadn't known her before she was ripped away from them. He walked out to the main part of the lobby and placed a comforting hand on Cordelia's who eagerly accepted it. Clinging to him like a lifeline as Gunn and Wesley emerged to go over what was going to go down tomorrow night. They were going to get Willow back.

-------------------------- -------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------ -------------------

6:05 p.m.

Nearly on time thought Angela as she glanced at her watch before gently pushing open the door to the Hyperion and stepping inside. Spotting Gunn and the girl who had introduced everyone yesterday by the counter she headed in their direction. They saw her coming and both called out hellos.

"Hey Angela, good to see you again, you remember Cordelia don't you? She was here when you met everyone a couple nights ago."

"Yes, of course, nice to meet you again Cordelia," said Angela holding out her hand for a shake.

A beaming smile radiated from Cordelia as she quickly grasped her hand and shook it so hard it was nearly painful.

"It's nice to see you again too. I'm really happy you came back," Cordelia stressed. "Like I mean we don't get many new faces coming by here."

Hearing the signal from Cordelia the group consisting of Lorne, Wesley, Angel, and Fred huddling within Angel's office knew that it was now or never. Wesley and Angel began to recite the spell while Fred and Lorne added the ingredients to the bowl in between the two chanting men.

Outside Angela was smiling thoughtfully while making small talk with Gunn and Cordelia. She felt sorry for the two of them. They looked like they wanted her friendship so desperately, why exactly she didn't know but at this point she didn't really care. They and the rest of their friends she had met the night she was rescued seemed so nice and so kind and friendly and yet also very sad. Gunn had even saved her, a total stranger in a dark LA alley when she could easily believe no other soul would ever do the same. She hated to see anyone unhappy so she decided her new goal would to bring them joy no matter what.

This resolution was firmly in her mind before she felt the headache come on. It was subtle at first before building at an alarming rate. She had never had one this bad before, the vision of her two new friends in front of her became distorted and she barely felt their hands supporting her and she slumped against the counter. With her ears ringing so loudly and the white light in front of her eyes blinding her she couldn't even hear her own blood curdling scream as everything turned to black.

------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------

Willow felt like she was swimming as she began to regain consciousness, the first thing that she noticed was that she was in no pain. She could also feel the strong embrace that she was being held in as she felt herself rise in the air. Voices could be heard coming from all sides, some sounded familiar somehow as the rest sounded foreign to her, or did they. She was confused for a moment more before she realised two things.

The person holding her didn't have a heartbeat.

And

They were beginning to move.

Forcing her eyes open she tried to spring – unsuccessfully – from her captors arms before managing to twist her body and connect her knee to their groin area. Her captor set her on the ground but wouldn't release her from their grasp. Willow stopped struggling as she began to actually see her surroundings. A group of excited looking people was staring back at her. Memories began to assault her as she began matching their faces with names and memories. Trying to keep her breathing under control she was startled when she heard her captor –a man- say her name.

"Willow?"

"Willow? Are you alright? Do you remember anything? Who you are, where you are?"

She felt the hands let go of her slowly as she turned around and looked into his dark brown eyes. She knew him too. She could remember everything, Willow, Angela should could remember memories from both of their lives. Willow's life was so full of pain and Angela's was so bare of anything. Tears welled up in her eyes as she recognised the man in front of her. She placed a small white hand on his chest.

Speaking softly she uttered one word, "soul."

The small smile that graced his lips as she said that were dashed as she took her hand off of his chest and placed in on her own before saying, "hurt". And burst into tears.

------------------------------ ------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------

Willow was exhausted. She had just spent the entire night re-meeting her friends, both new and old. Realising that she was in LA, while the rest of her friends were in Sunnydale. With the help of her LA friends she slowly sifted through her memories as both Willow and Angela, facing the horrible truths of what occurred to make her Angela. They also told her everything they knew from both LA and Sunnydale that she had missed out on. She was emotionally run down. The waves of pain from her memories were plowing over all of the good. She felt so lost. All she wanted now was to go home but she sure where home was anymore.

A fresh wave of tears threatened to spill over, she knew that Buffy and Xander had done the right thing to send her away. The FBI for protecting her and sending that scumball to hell and that the LA gang had done the right thing by giving her, her old life and memories back. So why did she feel so alone, so betrayed? She felt the need to be comforted rise in her but instead she sat quietly and alone in the darkness of the lobby. Everyone else was staying the night and insisted that she get some rest as well. But she couldn't sleep, not right now anyway. In the morning she would ask Gunn to take her to her hotel to collect her things. She would come back here and decide how to spend the rest of her life. She would go back to Sunnydale. She knew that for sure but she wouldn't stay there, not forever. Willow Rosenberg was dead after all. Angela Jennifer Giles was still alive though.

A half smile appeared on her lips. Buffy had been right; she did like the name. But that wasn't who she was, no matter what she was still Willow. But Willow didn't have a future; Willow didn't have a plan. Willow didn't have a life she could just slip into. The frown reclaimed her lips as she sighed. What was she going to do?

Unknown to her though she was being watched from above as Angel and Lorne stood at the top of the stairs, leaning against the wall and looking at the red head below them.

"She's brooding."

"Better then you even Angelcakes, I never thought that anyone could beat you at that."

"I want to help her, but I'm not sure what else I can do."

"Well I know something that I can do, I'll go down there and have a chat with the little strawberry while you go to bed and get some rest. I'll find out what I can and then we can find something to do to help the girl."

"I don't need to rest, I need to help her Lorne."

"You can't help her properly if you don't get some rest, the parts you and Wesley played in the spell were very taxing."

"Not really, besides I owed it to her, she tired to restore my soul and was injured and put into a coma. She woke up and did it from her hospital bed. I can never fully repay her for what she did for me, but I need to try."

Lorne looked thoughtfully at the vampire beside him and could feel the emotions running off of him. He would die for that girl down there. Thinking back to the reading he had done earlier in the week when Angel sang he remembered the emotions the souled vamp had of Willow. Friendship, devotion, and love. He loved Willow but wouldn't do a thing about it. From everything he had gathered from the history of the original Sunnydale group she had given him back his soul out of pure friendship to him and Buffy. And Buffy loved her back as a friend but Angel's feelings towards Willow ran deeper then that. In love. That was the popular term used to describe what Angel was.

Spike loved Willow, and Lorne had no doubt in his mind that if the chipped vampire were near Willow he would smother her with it. But they weren't meant to be, in another lifetime yes, but not in this one. Making his decision final he gently pushed Angel away from the stairs.

"Let me help her for now, so we can all help her right tomorrow. For now go and get some sleep."

Knowing he was defeated Angel sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Thank you Lorne. For everything, for helping her."

Lorne just smiled as he watched Angel walk down the hall before turning and heading down the stairs and towards the redhead.

"What's a sweet little girl like you brooding in a place like this?" Lorne announced before sitting down so as not to scare the girl.

"Angel is the brooding one." She answered with a slight smile on her face.

"Normally yes but he's very happy since you've come back to his world. Want to tell me what's got you so down?"

Looking down at her feet she nodded yes. "Promise not to get mad and tell the others?"

"I can promise that I won't get mad, I believe that there is nothing that you can tell me that will make me mad. But I can't promise you that I won't tell the others. They just want to help you Willow, they love and care about you."

Willow nodded again before slowing telling Lorne her fears of the future, or lack there of, as well as her unawareness of her identity. He listened carefully as he held her hand and never interrupted her. When she finished he told her that what she was feeling was nothing to be ashamed of and how he could read into a person's future, before asking her to sing a song. She softly sang the first song she could remember. One of the Dingo's old songs. Lorne looked a slightly paler shade of green before telling her that she indeed had a future ahead but she couldn't start it without a goodnight's sleep. Plotting all the while to corner Wesley and his prophecy books first thing in the morning.


	5. Wesley

Wesley stared un-easily as Cordelia paced in front of him babbling in a mix of fear and glee, her voice getting louder and louder as she went on. 'Shoot me now' thought Wesley bitterly as he continued to stare. Lorne had grabbed him the moment Gunn left with Willow this morning. He outlined everything he had learned from his chat with the little red head last night.

Aspirin.

And Cordelia over heard every word.

Wesley needed aspirin.

"Cordelia.." Wesley started softly as he rose slowly out of his chair.

"But Wesley!" Cordelia demanded. "This is big! I mean, that prophecy matches everything we already know and that Lorne was able to find out! This is going to affect all of our lives both good and bad. But what about poor Willow? What's she going to do when she finds out? It was a bad enough shock to get everyone plus two years of her life back. What is she going to do when we have to tell her that even though she doesn't love Angel, he loves her and is having HIS BABY!

Just then a loud thud was heard just outside the door. Both Cordelia and Wesley stiffened before taking a couple steps to look out the open door to Wesley's office. They saw Angel on his knees. The look of shock was moulded on his handsome face.

"Angel..." Cordelia asked softly as she stepped further out of the office and closer to Angel. "Are you alright? How much did you hear?"

"Oh just about everything."

"You were listening in?" asked Wesley.

"Didn't mean to...Vampire hearing."

Before another word could be said the front door burst open and in came a laughing and smiling Gunn and Willow each with a couple suitcases on each arm.

"What's going on?" asked Gunn cautiously.

"We need to call Sunnydale." said Angel softly from his kneeling position on the floor.

Aspirin thought Wesley.

I need Aspirin.

The day was spent quietly avoiding each other until the Sunnydale crew arrived. Wesley making copies of the prophecy and finding any other references with Fred's help. Gunn, Cordelia and Lorne trying to keep Willow occupied and calm. And Angel was in his office brooding. Brooding and thinking as he read and re-read the prophecy over and over again.

It all seemed like a blur. He loved Willow.

Love.

Pure love.

But she didn't love him back. But the prophecy said that instead of giving him back his humanity they would give him a permanent soul, and a child who would contain the power to heal those favoured by the powers. Who would be able to turn back the clock of time without knowing it, to re-create the past the way it was originally supposed to be.

But only if Willow's blood was shed and she died.

Angel could feel his face grow darker. She was already pregnant. He listened to the heartbeats carefully when she entered the hotel this morning with Gunn.

His child.

He was going to have a child, a daughter at that. A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he began to wonder if she would more like him or like Willow. He sighed as he remembered. She didn't love him, she was having his child and then she was going to die. Would she grow to love him? Had she ever thought of him as more then just Buffy's boyfriend? Angeles had liked her. A little too much, so he left her alone, taunting the slayer, always meaning to come back her but then she gave him the soul and Buffy sent him to hell. Oh his demon was furious over that, he moved Willow to the top of his list to torture and kill. She has given him more humanity then anyone and he would take deep pleasure in getting his revenge. But now the bonded soul would keep Angeles in chains forever. But that didn't answer how could he make up for all the years they didn't spend together, as lovers, or at least as friends? She even restored his soul, just so he and Buffy could be happy. Sighing again he pulled his hand over his face as a soft tapping came at the door. Angel stood up and answered it.

"Angel," Fred said softly. "They're here."

With a slight nod and a heavy heart Angel followed Fred out to the main entrance where he was greeted by the sight of Willow being mobbed with hugs and kisses from the Sunnydale crowd. The tears ran down her face softly as she smiled brightly at them. She was so happy now, and it pained him so much to think of how she was going to react to the news. How everyone was.

Please let this go right Angel prayed. Willow's already has been hurt enough she didn't deserve any more pain.

"Willow?" Giles asked softly as he knelt in front of Willow and patted her hand. "Willow can you hear me? Are you alright?"

Willow was sat, perched on the edge of the couch, trying to control her breathing as she vainly remained in control as she absorbed the information she had just heard.

The prophecy, the child, Angel confirming that he loved her, her child to be the power's greatest saviour, the fact that she would die.

"I – I don't know what to do?" Willow began as the tears began to flow. "Buffy? Buffy what should I do?"

Buffy looked fondly at her friend, she looked so lost, so frightened, so much had happened. It had been nearly two years since she had last seen her. Two lost years, full of lies, but here was Willow, her Willow, asking her for help. Buffy didn't love Angel anymore, she loved him as a friend, but nothing more. She and Xander had found peace in each other's arms. Standing up she stepped lightly over to Willow and sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her tightly. You should follow your heart and your instincts. This prophecy has already started Wills, we can't change that part, but we can make a difference on how the future turns out. Besides I'm kinda looking forward to being called Auntie Buffy."

Willow grinned widely at Buffy as she dried her tears. Buffy matched her grin as Willow grabbed Buffy in a fierce hug. Everything would be ok in the end; she knew it, thought Willow as she glanced up to see Angel watching her and she continued to grin.

The Sunnydale gang stayed until sun set the next day, things had forever changed between the two groups. They were closer now, more united. As everyone else went home or to bed Angel and Willow were left alone for the first time since she had woken up in his bed when Gunn first brought her home.

"Willow, I know that you don't love me but I love you, and I promise that I will always take care of you and our child. I will do anything it takes to make sure both of you are safe." Angel breathed out as he stepped towards Willow, reaching his hand out to lightly stroke her hair.

"You're right Angel, I don't love you," Angel looked down, trying to mask the pain in his eyes. She placed her hand on his cheek and gently raised it so he could see her. She looked him in the eye, tears beginning to well up in her own. "But I think that I could grow to love you."

And then he placed their very first kiss on her lips. Soft and sweet, and very tentative at first, but it wouldn't be the last, thought Angel as he once again promised himself to thank Gunn everyday for bringing Willow back into his life.


	6. rewind

Sunnydale 2001 – Giles place

"Hey G-man we're here!" Xander called out as he, Anya, Buffy and Willow entered Giles house.

Spike craned his neck to see the group enter from his spot on the couch. They didn't even notice him! He was Spike; William the bloody, killer of two slayers and no one even bloody well says hello.

"Hey Spike."

Who said that? Willow did. Spike smirked, she was too nice for her own good, just wait until this chip comes out red, he thought with a grin. 'Cause when it does you're mine.

Giles chose that moment to exit the kitchen with a mug of tea, not hearing Xander's name for him. "Is everyone all here then? Good we can get started. See if there are any new prophecy's coming up, seeing as it has been awfully quiet lately something must be brewing. Willow, you can look on that infernal machine, Buffy you can visit Willy and see if he knows anything. Anya, Xander, Spike you can check the books I have laid out on the coffee table there while I look through these ones here."

"Actually if this is gonna be a research party I'm going out for snacks now then before we get started."

"Yes, yes, Xander fine, just make sure that you do hurry back."

"In a flash G-man," Xander called back as he and Buffy walked out the door, leaving Giles standing there rolling his eyes.

Five minutes passed before Willow stood up, taking less then a step before stumbling and grabbing the back of her chair with one hand and holding her stomach with the other.

"Giles...something's wrong."

"Willow?" Giles asked as he rose as well, Anya and Spike seeing something was wrong joined him. "Willow what's the matter? Are you ill?"

Willow shook her head fiercely as she clutched her stomach tighter and doubled over. "Power...Magic.... Giles it hurts, oh goddess..." She managed to breathe out before collapsing.

A flash of white light blinded the three for a moment before noticing Willow lying lifelessly on the floor. Giles rushed to her side and checking her vitals.

"She's fine, just unconscious," he announced before being knocked to the ground by a small creature.

"GRANDPA!"

"Grandpa?" Anya asked, "Giles has grandkids?"

"GRANDMA ANYA! UNCLE WILLY!" The small thing cried before scrambling off of Giles and launching herself at Anya. "Grandma what's wrong with Mummy? Why isn't she awake?"

Anya could only stare at the small thing attached to her leg as Giles picked himself off of the floor and the door burst open.

"Giles!" Buffy shouted as she burst through the door, Xander, Angel, Cordelia and Wesley at her heels. "They had a vision in LA of Willow being hurt and ... what is that?"

"We don't quite know. Willow got up holding her stomach in pain, an-and then there was a bright flash of light and next thing we know she's on the floor and I'm tackled and called 'Grandpa' and Anya was called 'Grandma Anya and Spike.." Giles paused the polishing of his glasses to smirk slightly. "Uncle Willy."

"But who is that?"

"I...we.. I don't know.."

"I'm Alexandra Auntie Buffy! You know that silly." The little girl clinging to Anya proclaimed. "Auntie Buffy why isn't Mummy waking up?"

"Mummy?" Buffy asked before following the girl's eyes to Willow who was still sprawled on the floor. "I don't know who you are but I'm not your Auntie Buffy and she's not your Mummy."

Tears welled up in her eyes as Anya swept the little girl into her arms. "Umm little girl she was just kidding. She's just not good at being funny like Xander is ok?"

The tears were quickly forgotten as the girl giggled. "She's not funny like Uncle Xan Xan and or Uncle Willy is she Grandma?"

"Nope." Quirked Anya as the little girl giggled again.

"When's Mummy waking up?"

"Soon kiddo, soon."

"Ok."

"Why don't we go sit on the couch why your Grandpa and everyone else go takes care of your Mummy?"

"OK!"

As Anya took the girl to the couch everyone snapped out of their stupor. Xander was the first to speak.

"Ok three things, why the hell is there a kid who claims to be Willow's kid here? Why isn't Willow awake yet and Why does that kid look like Willow did when she was six? And when did Anya become a natural born grandmother?"

"Well first off" Cordelia began, "That's four questions Einstein and there's here's something else familiar about that kid that I just can't pin and I have no clue about everything else."

"Mr. Giles this is beginning to remind me of a prophecy I just saw in my books back in LA. May I call and have them delivered? They may prove very useful, and as for the little girl perhaps someone could ask her a few questions to learn exactly who she is?"

"Yes of course the phone is right over there. I'll try asking her some questions then as she seems to recognise me."

"UNCLE WILLY..." A voice asked loudly cutting off any further conversation. "Can you tell me my favourite story. Please?"

A clearly startled Spike walked over to the couch and sat beside the little girl. "Umm which story was that again pet?"

Laughs "Uncle Willy, you're being silly, it's the one you tell me every time we visit you!"

"Well seeing as you know it so well maybe you can tell it to Uncle Willy for a change."

"Ok!"

Meanwhile everyone else was trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

"Look all this talk is getting us nowhere!" stated a frustrated Cordelia. "Look we haven't even picked Willow off the floor yet!"

Giles sighed as he polished his glasses once again. "Quite right, why don't we take Willow and put her upstairs in my room while the rest of us start looking through the books until Wesley's arrive."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Angel, why don't you help me with Willow ok?" Buffy asked softly. Angel nodded and picked her up easily following Buffy upstairs. Buffy pulled back the covers as Angel placed Willow gently on the bed. They took off her shoes and quickly covered her.

"Buffy..."

"Angel I just want to tell you that I'm glad you're here, that you all came actually."

"It's good to see you all again, even if it isn't a normal social call."

"There's no such thing on the hellmouth."

They both chuckled softly before looking each other in the eye.

"We always knew that we were never really meant to be didn't we Angel?"

"I guess we did Buffy."

"Be happy Angel."

"Be happy Buffy."

Smiling once more they hugged each other and then headed down the stairs.

"Oh good, you're put Willow to bed then?" Giles asked as Buffy and Angel descended the stairs and nodded.

"Spike has asked that we all listen as little, ugh Alexandra begins the story her 'Uncle Willy' tells her again. She says that it's about how we all became a family and how she got here."

The pair looked at each other in shock before going to move closer to the group in the living room.

"Sit right here Grandpa," Alexandra said as she scooted off of the couch, allowing Giles to sit there only a moment before she sat on his lap and curled her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek. He instinctively hugged her back and allowed her to continue sitting on his lap.

"Once upon a time there was a girl who was like the sun, all golden and pure until one day she learned that evil vampire men were real and a man told her that her job was to make them go away. He gave her a magic wand and she would turn them into dust. She did this until she had to move away from her old home and make a new one in the land of sun.

She didn't know anyone there until one day she met the cheerleader princess. The cheerleader princess was ruler of all and was good and kind but not to her subjects. She tried to befriend the golden girl but the golden girl decided to be friends with a common girl instead. The common girl was red and she had two friends: zapper and some guy. The golden girl liked the three friends at once and became friends with them. A vampire man killed the guy and only zapper and red were left. They decided to help the golden girl and her father get rid of the vampire men. They got rid of a lot of vampire men with their magic wands except for one. His name was Pouf.

Pouf was in love with the golden girl and, she loved him too. So he helped her get rid of the vampire men. The cheerleader princess fell in love with zapper and red fell in love with a wolf. They all decided to get rid of the vampire men together and became the scooby gang. They had a lot of adventures together until one night pouf got too happy and that made him turn bad cause he had a curse. He changed his name to pouf-less and hung out with his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend the big bad. They did bad things to the golden girl and the scooby gang and the golden girl realised that she had to turn him into dust with her magic wand, but before she did red turned him back into pouf again. He went away to a dark land to think about what he did and came back to the golden girl.

They couldn't stay together anymore and they broke up. Pouf went to live in the golden girl's homeland with the cheerleader princess who broke up with zapper and her pet watcher Jr.

A the wolf left red the big bad and demon girl came to help and a long time went by and everyone was happy until a bad man came and took red away from the golden girl, zapper their father, demon girl and the big bad. The bad man hurt red, took her light away, put her under, and enchanted sleep and then the bad man died. The golden girl and zapper sent her to a land far, far away with a new name and memories. The golden girl and zapper were sad and told everyone that red had died. But one day red woke up, travelled to the golden girl's homeland, and was saved from a vampire man by a black knight. The black knight took her to his friend the green bean the singing lizard. Green bean knew that she was special and he and the black knight took her to the black knight's boss.

When they entered the castle the black knight and green bean showed her to the boss and he declared that there should be a great meeting. He rounded up everyone, the cheerleading princess, green bean, the black knight, shadow, watcher jr and the scooby gang. They all decided to bring the old red back and found a spell to unlock her memories. They gave her back all her memories and red and everyone else was happy until watcher jr. found a prophecy. Everyone was scared because it promised the pouf a permanent soul, no more headaches for the cheerleading princess or the big bad. And because everyone there was loved so much by the powers that be they would always be healed if they ever got hurt. But this would only happen if red had a baby. The powers had already started the baby the same way they did with the "bleedin' virgin Mary". They stole part of the man who truly loved red the most to make the baby but red didn't love him back.

Everyone was sad but excited. By the time the baby was born red had grown to love the pouf and everyone lived happily for six years until an evil wizard named Ethan decided to steal the power of the girl. But he couldn't unlock her power to steal it until he spilled red's blood. Everyone found out and tried to protect red, they had been waiting for the day to come since they first read that it was going to happen in the prophecy but they weren't ready. But Uncle Willy said that red would never die and not to worry, the end."

Everyone was shocked and horrified by the end of the story. Prophecies were never good.

"Alexandra..." Giles began softly. "What happens after Uncle Willy's story ends?"

Tears began to form in her eyes and Giles held her closer. "They weren't ready, and he killed her after he killed all of them. He made a simple sleeping spell and then went around and killed everyone in their sleep. Green bean managed to make a connection with the powers and they saved me and offered me a choice: follow the prophecy and go back in time and change everything and make it the way it was really supposed to be or stay in my time and hide from Ethan. So I came back, I have seven days and if I make things right then they'll put me back into Mummy."

Giles looked at everyone for a moment for reassurance before pulling her back and looking her in the eyes.

"As long as you tell us everything we ask we'll do anything to help you."

Alexandra beamed at Giles before hugging him; he hugged her back feeling a strange sort of happiness.

He was a Grandfather. Giles smiled.

Gunn arrived twenty minutes later with both Fred and Lorne in tow and was just finishing filling them in. Anya and Buffy were in the kitchen with Alexandra getting her a snack while Xander teased Spike for being called 'Uncle Willy' while Giles boasted about how he's a Grandfather. No one stopped Angel or even looked at him as he made his way quietly up the stairs to see Willow. No one had said a word yet about him being Alexandra's father or about him being in love with Willow. She was still unconscious as he gently stroked the hair away from her face. Sighing and taking one last look he ventured back down stairs to start round two of Alexandra's questioning.

Comfortably seated with Alexandra on his lap Angel nodded for Giles to begin.

"Alexandra, you mentioned before that we all became a family and referred to a few of us already by title. Can you tell us more about this and who means what to you?"

"Well, Mummy is my Mummy, and Daddy here is my Daddy. Auntie Buffy is like Mummy's sister and she's my godmother. She and Uncle Xan Xan got married before I was born; he's my Mummy's best friend. They fell in love when Mummy was away.

Grandpa and Grandma Anya got married just before I was born too. He had a big crush on her and she always liked him. He bought a really pretty ring one night cause he was drinking with Uncle Wesley and showed up at her door and asked her to marry him and they did. It was a really pretty wedding and Grandma Anya always lets me look at the pictures and she says that someday when I get married she wants to give me the ring because it was a symbol of true love.

Gunn is my godfather and Daddy thanks him EVERY SINGLE DAY for saving Mummy and bringing her back.

Uncle Wesley and Aunty Cordy are married and they live in the same building as Gunn and Aunt Winnie. Gunn only likes to be called Gunn by everybody because he's a strong tough man. One day I want to be tough like him. And oh, oh everyone always calls Aunt Winnie 'Fred'.

Papa Lorne is my other Grandpa and he owns a nightclub and makes people sing. He's really funny. And he sings really pretty. He won't let Daddy sing though, which is good.

Uncle Willy lives with Auntie Buffy's mum and they're always in smoochy love. Auntie Buffy says she's not ready to have kids yet and likes that there is at least one kid calling her 'Gram.'

Uncle Xan Xan teased Gram and Grandma Anya once and said that Gram was more of a Grandma she had 'the look' and makes better cookies. And Grandma Anya looks too young and until she married Grandpa she was too brash. But I love them both the same, they're my grandma's."

"So I'm shacked up with Joyce?" Spike asked. "I always knew I had good taste."

"How big was the rock on the wedding ring?" Asked Anya.

"A half a sugar cube with a little sapphire on each side and it was silver."

"Wow Giles you have amazing taste."

"It's Giles, who knew." Added Cordelia.

"Yes... well..." sputtered Giles as he tried to clean his glasses without blushing.

Everyone smiled wickedly at the sputtering Englishman before the silence was once again broken by the child's voice.

"MUMMY! YOU'RE AWAKE!"

Willow stood at the bottom of the stairs holding the small girl who had launched herself into her arms. Looking back at the group staring back at her openly, the look of shock and confusion painted clearly on her face.

"Willow..." Giles began, "why don't you have a seat over here and you, Alexandra, Angel and I can talk. Buffy why don't you take everyone and go to the bronze or somewhere for awhile and meet us back here later?"

"Sure Giles, no problem. Come on all, Sunnydale may not be much but there is some interesting points of interest."

Willow sat down on the couch, cradling the young girl on her lap as everyone walked out the door.

Giles, with the help of Angel began the story they had all learned not long before. After the first half hour Alexandra was fast asleep on Willow's lap and she found herself stroking the girls hair softly and holding her possessively as the tale went on.

The deciphered most of what Alexandra had said. The magic wands were stakes, took her light away meant take her innocence away meaning rape. Enchanted sleep meant coma, and golden girl's homeland meant LA: which is where Buffy came from before arriving in Sunnydale.

Willow shivered as she thought of what could have happened if Alexandra hadn't of come back. The girl with long auburn hair, dark green eyes and with the agility and a smirk to rival Angel's.

She was broken out of her musings by the sound of Giles getting up and heading to the kitchen. She ventured a look at Angel who was smiling at her as she continued to hold the little girl.

"She's really ours isn't she? Everything she said ... it sounds so real. ..."

"Yeah..." Angel said softly. "I really believe she is. ..."


End file.
